The Van

Starring:Stuart Goetz, Deborah White, Harry Moses, Marcie Barkin, Bill Adler, Steve Oliver, Connie Lisa Marie, Danny DeVito, Jim Kester, Michael Gitomer, Chuck Hastings, Steven Stinebaugh, Howard Dayton, David Ellenstein, Donald Elson, Jean Howell, Richard Karie, Walter Maslow, Lilyan McBride, Duncan McLeod, Director
Director: Sam Grossman
Studio: Rhino / Wea
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Western history
South Dakota
A Dissapointing End To A Critcally Acclaimed Show
TV Redemmed
Still enthralling.

Deadwood - The Complete Third Season
Director: Michael Almereyda , Davis Guggenheim , and Timothy Van Patten
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Westerns | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
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Deadwood - The Complete Second Season
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Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000NVI2GU
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

The final complete season of HBO's remarkable Deadwood series is full of surprises and devastating experiences as the nascent, dangerous town prepares to join Dakota territory in 1877. As in the previous two seasons, the question of who will control the town's resources, assets, and people drives much of the drama, affecting all manner of relationships and alliances, often between the most unlikely people. The dominant storyline in Deadwood: The Complete Third Season concerns upcoming elections for mayor and sheriff of the mucky, gold-mining town. The real juice, however, is not so much between the individuals running for office as between two power brokers each trying to steer the results toward their own purposes. Saloon owner and Deadwood's puppetmaster, Al Swearengen (Ian McShane sustaining his brilliant peformance in the previous two seasons), works closely with incumbent lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) on retaining the latter's seat. But Bullock himself has difficulty surrendering his penchant for taking unambiguous action and relying on few words, especially when he has to act like a politician and deal with people such as George Hearst (Gerald McRaney, playing the real-life father of William Randolph Hearst). Swearengen's rival, Hearst--a self-made industrialist who gained his fortune through mining--has every intention of overtaking Deadwood, with his eye particularly on the lucrative mine owned by Bullock's former lover, Alma (Molly Parker). (The violence Hearst employs to get to Alma's claim will stun many Deadwood fans.)

Meanwhile, Bullock's old friend, Sol Starr (John Hawkes), runs for mayor against the feckless E.B. Farnum (William Sanderson), and tries to navigate through his difficult relationship with Trixie (Paula Malcomson) as she grows enraged by former lover Swearengen's manipulation of her and everyone else. Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert) is encouraged to become a public speaker, telling of her misadventures with General George Custer, and she commences a lesbian relationship with Joanie (Kim Dickens), the saloon owner who is becoming increasingly despondent and suicidal. Bullock's relationship with his wife, Martha (Anna Gunn) continues to deepen and become more of an influence on him, Wyatt Earp comes for a visit, and a newcomer to town, Jack Langrishe (Brian Cox), an old friend of Swearengen, attempts to open a theatre. As expected, the season finale concludes with the long-awaited election, but HBO's decision to bring Deadwood to an end required creator David Milch to wrap everything up in a pair of two-hour movies. Still, The Complete Third Season is very satisfying on every level, and will always be, along with the rest of the series, a television landmark. --Tom Keogh

Description

(Rolling Stone) "The Best Drama on Television" is back with the third season on DVD! Timed to coincide with Father's Day, HBO will release Deadwood: The Complete Third Season DVD on June 12, 2007. Watch as the lawless era of Deadwood comes to an end. This DVD is loaded with bonus features including two featurettes, audio commentaries and more.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Audio Commentary
Audio Commentary
Audio Commentary
Featurette

Customer Reviews:

Western history.......2007-07-04

This was a unique program. I don't know how the writer, producer etc saw this in the beginning but by the third season it had become a testimony to how the west was built. This season takes us to the very edge of civilization. Two forces fighting for control of a town that is just beginning to taste civilization. Violence - yes, graphic sex - yes, bad language - loads of it, but tremendous acting and a story worth the telling. Which force, good or evil, will triumph determines whether the town will survive or die. Perhaps the greatest picture of this development is the children walking through the muddy street to a new shcoolhouse. Alas, we do not know how the tug of war finished, just as the walk of the children was not finished, but we can hope. This is one of the best depictions (maybe the only one) of how a western town developed. It ended, one supposes, because the gold (the audience) petered out, or at least some company guru thought it did. The town was shot in the back while still holding aces and eights.

South Dakota.......2007-07-04

This is such a great series that it's too bad it's coming to an end. It brings western's back for us to enjoy.

A Dissapointing End To A Critcally Acclaimed Show.......2007-07-02

Deadwood has quickly become a cult classic with its endeering characters, riveting plot, and colorful language. Season one and two were awe inspiring representations of the Deadwood camp and the lives of those who lived in it. From the first episode of Season one I was entralled in the story of Sheriff Bullock, Ale Swearenger, and Wild Bill Hickock. I have eagerly awaited the third and possibly final season of Deadwood for almost five months now. Having watched it, in its entirety, I am horrendously dissapointed in the quality of its character, direction of its plot, and incompletness of its story especially in its later days. There were rumors on there being two additional movies made in order to "wrap up" the series. The ending of this season was so unbelievably dissapointing that I coudnt think of how a movie could finish what was always, until now, an amazing cinematic adventure.

TV Redemmed.......2007-06-29

Perfect, wonderful, gripping, not one bad second in the entire series. Buy it, watch it, watch it again. I am truly sorry the series is over. You don't need me to go over the plot details and historical accuracy - I just want to recommend it.

Still enthralling........2007-06-28

This series has kept me totally captivated since the first episode. The world created in the show is both believable and totally interesting. I can't take my eyes off the screen. Its as close as you can get to living in that time and in that wild place.
And the 3rd season is no exception. Great!

Average customer rating:

Fabulous insight into a Mafia Family
Couldn't have cared less
Opening Sequence and the Twin Towers
woke up this morning...
Awesome 1st season of one of the best TV shows of all time

The Sopranos: The Complete First Season
Starring: James Gandolfini , and Edie Falco
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season
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The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 1

ASIN: B00003CXOP
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: Like 1999's other screen touchstone, American Beauty, the HBO series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood.

The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatization of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchmen and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed.

The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland

Description

On January 10th, 1999, America was introduced to two families that would make history: The Soprano family headed by Tony Soprano, and The Soprano "family" headed by ... Tony Soprano. ' 'Four Stars! The first gotta-watch, gotta love, Gotti-like TV series of 1999. Across the board it's an A-plus.' ' - The New York Post ' 'Achieves a fresh tone to match its irresistibly winning concept.' ' - The New York Times

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Biographies
Episodic Recaps
Featurette
Interviews

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous insight into a Mafia Family.......2007-07-02

Can't vouch for the accuracy of the surroudings (what do I know about NJ)nor what a Mafia family is supposed to be like ( is anyone gonna admit they can?) but from an english perspective -just wish BBC could still make drama even half as good as this .

After 2 episodes you will be hooked - just raced thru 1st series - Episodes 1-13 . Brilliant script , great gags - had me & my mates in stiches , fabulous looking girls - lots of T&A , rocking intro soundtrack - plus a truly complelling performance by james Gandolfini .

nuff said - get it or you'll get wacked as Tony might have said .

Couldn't have cared less.......2007-07-01

Many viewers clearly loved the characterizations and found the mixture of mundane family life with mafia family life to be brilliant, but I disliked this show because I found the characters pathetic and dull. Most of what I remember is a bunch of glowering punctuated by a few arguments and gunshots.

The bulk of characters seem to represent a very mediocre brand of evil. They are human failures not because they gleefully engage in villainy, but simply because they are incompetent at living their lives. The acting, sound, and camera work were all quite competent, but since I was bored by the story, it was all wasted effort as far as I'm concerned.

Certainly I'm aware of how popular the show is; the only other negative reviews seem to consist of people who can't deal with language or feel unfairly stereotyped. I figured I should take the time to say some people simply didn't think this was a very good drama.

Opening Sequence and the Twin Towers.......2007-06-28

I didn't remember seeing the first season (and perhaps 2nd), but I did recall that the shot of the Twin Towers was removed from the opening credits. I was curious to see if the original opening would be on the DVD. Well, ya, there is a shot of the towers, but it appears to me as though it is a shot of the side view mirror of Tony's SUV with the image of the towers in the reflection. Does anyone know if it was always that way? If so, that simple shot was very prophetic; foreshadowing that, soon after, the towers would only be in our past. If it is not original, it was a well thought out adjustment.

woke up this morning..........2007-06-26

I am a diehard Sopranos fan. I still have that Journey song bouncing through my head from the very last episode. So what is a 'made fan' supposed to do now that the only series I watched is now over? Start watching from the very beginning. I've been a fan since season 1 but how refreshing it is to watch it all again. It is amazing to see how young everyone is back from season 1. The intro to the characters and all the little nuances that you pick up is amazing. The storyline of Tony in his first session with Melfi, how conniving his mother was, Uncle Jun and his old school ways. Most amazing to me how virile and full of hope Tony seems to be and how much he changed over the years beaten down by the life he leads. Incredible writing and incredible acting. A dvd for the ages. Bada Bing!

Awesome 1st season of one of the best TV shows of all time.......2007-06-22

This is a fantastic box set that collects my favorite episodes, the very ones that introduced Tony, his family, and his whole sick crew to millions of viewers worldwide. A friend first introduced me to the Sopranos after picking up the DVD's in the UK (they didn't show Sopranos as a regular series in South Africa). After the first 2 episodes I was hooked, and started buying the subsequent seasons. Now I can't get rid of my Soprano addiction, and find myself in a state of depression whenever I finish a season and have to wait for the next one to be released on DVD. What makes this show so compulsively viewable is the humanization of Tony and his cohorts, allowing us to see them as real people with real problems, and not as these merciless hitmen without a care in the world for anybody. Christopher Moltisanti is by far my favorite character, with Tony a close second. In this season we see Tony's first confrontation with his "Uncle June" and the discovery by his children that their father is "mobbed up." The central storyline revolves around Tony's panic attacks that forces him into the offices of Dr Melfi, a psychiatrist, who more than once regrets taking on Tony as a patient. There is plenty of drama and character development as well as action and an awesome theme song which I just can't get tired of. The Sopranos is well worth it. The only problem is that once you start with the first season, you will find yourself compelled to buy all of them. Enjoy!

Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

This was funny
Interesting and humorous
Great special effects
fun movie
Decent movie for everyone's entertainment

Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ben Stiller , Dick Van Dyke , Mickey Rooney , and Bill Cobbs
Director: Shawn Levy
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000NOKJC2
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

An irresistible concept meets computer-generated wonders in Night at the Museum, inspired by a 1993 children's book by Milan Trenc. Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, an underachieving inventor waiting for his ship to come in while getting evicted from one apartment after another for lack of funds. Larry's son needs some stability, so the well-meaning ne'er-do-well takes a job as night watchman at New York City's Museum of Natural History. What the soon-to-retire guards (Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs) don't tell him is that an ancient pharaoh's tablet in the museum causes everything on display to come to life at night. Thus, Larry meets representations of Teddy Roosevelt, Attila the Hun, fire-worshipping cavemen, and Roman Empire soldiers, and learns to cope with an excitable T-Rex and man-eating, ancient animals. The film might have left things at that, but an added story element gives Night at the Museum some extra urgency and excitement, especially for kids: Larry becomes responsible for keeping this nightly miracle going and preventing anything in the museum from dying due to exposure to sunrise. Computer effects, as well as wildly imaginative costumes and makeup, help make the film appeal to the 8-year-old in everyone. Director Shawn Levy (The Pink Panther) works with a hugely talented cast, including Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Carla Gugino, and Steve Coogan. --Tom Keogh

Night at the Museum Extras

Ben Stiller on Director Shawn Levy
Ricky Gervais on the size of his trailer and eating cheese.

Beyond Night at the Museum

See What DVDs Meant Special Effects to Amazon DVD Editors As Kids
More Adventure Films for Kids & Family
The Night at the Museum Paperback Book

Stills from Night at the Museum

Description

Ben Stiller leads an all-star cast including Robin Williams and Dick Van Dyke in this hilarious blockbuster hit. When good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Stiller) is hired as night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, he soon discovers that an ancient curse brings all the exhibits to life after the sun sets. Suddenly, Larry finds himself face-to-face with a frisky T. rex skeleton, tiny armies of Romans and cowboys and a mischievous monkey who taunts him to the breaking point. But with the help of President Teddy Roosevelt (Williams), Larry may just figure out a way to control the chaos and become a hero in his son's eyes. Boasting jaw-dropping special effects and laugh-out-loud moments, Night at the Museum is your ticket to nonstop fun!

Customer Reviews:

This was funny.......2007-07-04

I'm more of an action, adventure type person, but I throughly enjoyed this movie. It was simple, funny and well done. It wasn't silly. It made you wish that you were there at the museum with Ben Stiller.

Interesting and humorous.......2007-07-03

Robin Williams MAKES this movie. His interpretation of good ol' T.R. might not exactly be "Spot on" But it's hilarious nonetheless. I'm not a huge fan of Ben Stiller but he surprised me in this movie with how good he is at physical comedy. (If you can get past his annoying performance in Dodgeball, he does similar physical comedy there.)

In this movie, he just plays a normal guy, turned nightwatchman for a museum. He's warned about "strange happenings" by elderly nightwatchmen played by Dick VanDyke, Andy Rooney and Bill Cobbs. But even their dire warning can't prepare him for the life that is literally breathed into that place come sundown.

The story itself is what keeps this movie from being dull and idiotic. The story is very smartly written as comedies go. It's very action-packed and silly but entertaining from beginning to end.

There are a few subplots that get in the way here and there, but luckily they're minor annoyances to an otherwise funny flick.

Owen Wilson as Jedediah may be the second best performance of this movie (The first being Robin Williams)

Great special effects.......2007-07-03

Great show of special effects and Robin Williams does a very good job as Teddy Roosevelt! The plot with the humans is a bit lame, but the rest makes up for it. And to see a dinosaur playing fetch is funny.

fun movie.......2007-07-02

this is a good movie for the family, althought idk it wasnt quite as good as i expected. it did have funny moments, and is great for kids

Decent movie for everyone's entertainment.......2007-06-30

This is a good movie for the whole family. It probably won't hold a child 5 and under attention the whole time.

Average customer rating:

Great series
Sopranos Season 6
Fun to watch!
sopranos
Part One Review

The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 1
Starring: James Gandolfini
Director: Daniel Attias , Jack Bender , Peter Bogdanovich , Henry Bronchtein , and Martin Bruestle
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Sopranos - The Complete Fifth Season
The Sopranos - The Complete Fourth Season
The Sopranos: The Complete Third Season
The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season
The Sopranos: The Complete First Season

ASIN: B000BO7DWI
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, Season 6, Part 1 is the most contentious release yet in the acclaimed series' history. While many fans think it jumped the shark at the exact moment Vito said "I love you, Johnny Cakes" , this season also contains some of the series finest moments and plumbs new depths of character, while continuing to add to the body count. Things get started with a bang, literally, that unexpectedly sends Tony (James Gandolfini) to the hospital and into a coma where he experiences an alternate reality while in limbo. At one point he awakes and asks "Who am I? Where am I going?" encapsulating this season's central theme in a moment of desperation wrapped in a fever dream. But it's not all existentialism. With Tony and Uncle Junior both of the picture, the capos in the Soprano crew try to take advantage of the situation and begin jockeying for position while a reluctant Silvio (Steve Van Zandt), acting in Tony's place, struggles to keep everyone in check. Things aren't going much better for Tony's family, as A.J. (Robert Iler) confesses to Carmela (Edie Falco) that he flunked out of school, and while at Tony's bedside, swears revenge for his injury. The stress of the situation finally gets to Carmela, who takes up Dr. Melfi's (Lorraine Bracco) offer to help and finds herself in the strange position of confiding in her husband's therapist, revealing for once that she feels some guilt over making the kids complicit in how Tony makes his living—plus there's the issue of whether she really loves him. Christopher (Michael Imperioli) continues to provide much of the comic relief for the series, culminating in one of this season's best episodes when he flies out to L.A. in a bumbling attempt to get Ben Kingsley to sign on for his fledgling movie (Saw meets The Godfather), and ends up mugging Lauren Bacall for her goodie basket at an awards ceremony. Sowing further discord in the ranks, Vito (Joseph Gannoscoli) finally gets outed as homosexual, and is forced to flee for his life up to New Hampshire where he meets "Johnny Cakes." Finally, even with New York boss Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni (Vince Curatola) in prison, Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) makes plays against Tony and eventually sets in motion a hit against someone on Tony's crew, and now a larger war with Johnny Sack's crew seems to be looming.

Series creator David Chase seems to be saying with this season that character is destiny. If so, then Season Six, Part 1 is taking the necessary time to flesh out who these people really are, and is leaving the destiny part up for Part 2. The fact that the series' writers have been able to maintain such a strong show with so many interweaving storylines for so long is a feat not to be taken lightly. That said, this season of The Sopranos does deserve some of the criticism it's received: the Vito storyline would have been better served by resolving it in fewer episodes, and the season ending is the most unsatisfying one yet, leaving many fans wanting more. But the bottom line is that this season deserves more praise than criticism, proving that even at its weakest, The Sopranos is still the strongest show on TV.--Daniel Vancini

Description

Several crises threaten Tony and his crew; for starters, rival boss Johnny Sack (Vince Curatola) is in prison, and the always-tense relations between the New Jersey and New York families are strained through the unpredictable behavior of Sack?s surrogates. Then there are the inevitable power struggles that ensue when certain family members are eliminated, by natural and other causes.

DVD Features:
3D Animated Menus
Audio Commentary
Episodic Previews
Episodic Recaps
Featurette

Customer Reviews:

Great series.......2007-06-18

Too pricey. Half the season should be half the price of the other seasons. Capiche?

Sopranos Season 6.......2007-06-14

The DVDs were sent promptly and arrived in excellent condition.

Fun to watch!.......2007-06-12

My husband and I just finished watching this first part of the final Sopranos season. It was fun! Can't wait until the second part comes out on DVD!

sopranos.......2007-06-11

i payed for the season 6 but thay never sent it to me it has been 3 months

Part One Review.......2007-05-30

If you are a fan of the Sopranos, how could you not love the first part of Season Six. Once again an action packed thriller. Couldn't believe that Jr. shot Tony. But then again, there are a lot of characters that would love to see the Mob Boss dead. Can't wait for Part 2 to come out.

Average customer rating:

a lively season
Sopranos epic matures and expands with stellar Season Three
ANOTHER GREAT SEASON!
The Sopranos only gets better...
Impressive

The Sopranos: The Complete Third Season
Starring: James Gandolfini
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Sopranos - The Complete Fourth Season
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ASIN: B000067S1G
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Product Description

The Complete Third Season of the Soopranos:

Some suburban households have two cars. Some have two houses. But Tony Soprano has two families. This could be why the FBI is going to such lengths to wiretap his home. Why the son of his dear late friend Jackie Aprile is causing him such agitation. Why a Russian housekeeper is searching for her missing leg. Why his son is vandalizing school property and his daughter is getting her heart broken. Why his wife Carmela is both consulting a psychiatrist and confessing to a priest. And it's also why Tony Soprano is still seeing Dr. Melfi for his anxiety attacks. It isn't easy heading-up the mob in New Jersey. But that's what puts dinner on the table for the two families of Tony Soprano.

System Requirements:

Starring Aida Turturro, David Proval, Dominic Chianese, Drea De Matteo, Edie Falco, James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico, Veronique Marchand, Vincent Pastore

Directed by Steve Buscemi

Amazon.com

"So," Tony Soprano asks analyst Dr. Melfi in the wake of not-so-dearly-departed Livia's death, "we're probably done here, right?" Sorry, Tone, not by a long shot. Unresolved mother issues are the least of the Family man's troubles in the brutal and controversial third season of The Sopranos. Ranked by TV Guide among the top five greatest series ever, The Sopranos justified its eleven-month hiatus with some of its best, and most hotly debated, episodes that continue the saga of the New Jersey mob boss juggling the pressures of his often intersecting personal and professional lives. The third season garnered 22 Emmy nominations, earning Lead Actor and Actress honors for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco for their now-signature roles as Tony and his increasingly conflicted wife, Carmela.

The Sopranos continued to upend convention and defy audience expectations with a deliberately paced, calm-before-the-storm season opener that revolves around the FBI's attempts to bug the Soprano household, and a season finale that (for some) frustratingly leaves several plot lines unresolved. The second episode, "Proshai, Livushka," confronts the death of the venerable Nancy Marchand, who capped her career with perhaps her greatest role as malignant matriarch Livia. A jarring scene between Tony and Livia that uses pre-existing footage is a distraction, but Carmela's unsparing smackdown of Livia at the wake redeems the episode. "Employee of the Month," in which Dr. Melfi is raped and considers whether to exact revenge by telling Tony of her attack, earned Emmys for its writers, and is perhaps Emmy nominee Lorraine Bracco's finest hour. The darkly comic "Pine Barrens"--another memorable episode, directed by Steve Buscemi--strands Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) in the forest with a runaway corpse. Other story arcs concern the rise of the seriously unstable Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) and Tony's affair with "full-blown loop-de-loo" Gloria (Emmy nominee Annabella Sciorra). Plus, there is Tony's estrangement from daughter Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler), his wayward delinquent son Anthony, Jr. (Robert Iler), Carmela's crisis of conscience, bad seed Jackie Jr., and the FBI--which, as the season ends, assigns an undercover agent to befriend an unwitting figure in the Soprano family's orbit. Stay tuned for season four. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

a lively season .......2007-05-15

This is a favorite season of my family--the powerful rape of Dr. Melfi still gets to me (how she could not tell Tony!) and shows how she is a better person then most. Gloria and Tony were the funnest paring to watch as Tony met his match in her. Pine Barrens is of course a classic in the Christopher/Paulie relationship--I don't think is has ever again been presented better. The addtion of Ralphie made a nice arch-type to Tony, but I could have done with less Jackie Jr.

Sopranos epic matures and expands with stellar Season Three.......2007-05-11

The first three seasons of HBO's "The Sopranos" just get better and better. Too many series get lost after the original premise gets played out and the writers have nowhere for their characters to go after the first big climax. "The Sopranos" is different - as each conflict gets resolved, two new crises emerge, each as dire and entertaining as the last.

But the series never spins out of control. Tony, Carmela, Dr. Melfi, Meadow, Christopher . . . all of these characters remain true, even where they are over the top. Season Three features some of the finest writing TV has to offer, and the cast led by James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, and Lorraine Bracco continues to offer stellar performances down the line.

Some of the plot lines that play major roles in Season Three include:

Tony finding peace in the arms of another woman (Annabella Sciorra), only to find that peace shattered;

Carmela struggling with the guilt that comes from living off blood money;

Janice takes on the Russians, finds God, and a narcoleptic boyfriend;

Tony struggles to handle a rebellious, murderous captain (Joe Pantoliano) while also trying to keep the son he wished he had, Jackie Aprile, Jr., in line;

Meadow's off at college and thinks she has found true love, twice;

Dr. Melfi struggles with vengeance and whether to use Tony to exorcise her demons;

The death of Livia (Nancy Marchand) affects everyone;

Uncle Junior struggles with cancer and house arrest;

and the FBI continues its unsuccessful war against the Soprano family, but starts to show some promise.

As you can see, Season Three offers plenty of meat on the bone for its audience - I didn't even mention the best episode of the season, which puts Christopher and Paulie in the New Jersey snowbound countryside chasing a dead Russian.

Fans of the first two seasons need no encouragement to check out Season Three. If you haven't started this series yet, get to Season One and start watching!

ANOTHER GREAT SEASON! .......2007-03-10

Season 3 is another really good one and it contains my favorite episode to date (Pine Barrens)I was happy they "retired" some characters that really got on my nerves. I did not like the menu screen on this one as much as the first two seasons,but the DVD transfers are excellent! you can find these sets for $20.00 a season if you look around.

The Sopranos only gets better..........2007-02-13

The Sopranos, season 3, continues the story of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss who has to deal with all the hassels of organized crime as well as being the father of two kids and living in a tested marriage lifestyle. The thrid season does have its moments, and there are a lot of twists that made me want to continue on to season 4 and beyond...

Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood: An FBI agent named Agent Harris and his team construct a plan to bug the Soprano's household while everyone inside are away. This requires extensive planning from everyone, including tailing all the members of the Soprano household, even the maid, and planning when the right exact time is to set up a bug in the house. Meanwhile Tony is watching for any suspicious behavior from Patsy Parisi, a brother whose twin was killed and who was an ally of Uncle Junior.

Proshai Livushka: Tony is worried that his mom is going to rat on him to the Feds, but fortunately for him that never happens because Livia passes away. Despite her last wishes to not have a huge reception or funeral, Janice [Tony's sister] returns to throw a giant send-off. Meanwhile Meadow has a new boyfriend named Noah, who is both African American and Jewish, and Tony makes his own feelings for their relationship very clear, and it does not please Meadow one bit.

Fortunate Son: Christopher finally becomes a made man, but soon realizes its not all glamour and glory. Janice moves into her mother's house, but realizes that the Russian nurse, Svetlana, has been given a valuable record collection. Tensions mount after Svetlana refuses to give the collection to Janice. Meanwhile Tony and Dr. Melfi finally began to make headway in figuring out just what is causing Tony's panic attacks.

Employee of the Month: A man named Ralph, who took over the late mob boss Jackie Aprile's garbage business, is dating Jackie's widow and has endeared himself to Jackie's son, Jackie Jr. However he and Tony do not get along very much. However the real story is with Dr. Melfi, who becomes the victim of a very serious crime. Janice and Svetlana's feud comes to head with the introduction of the Russian mafia, and Tony can't help but wonder why a New York City mob boss, Johnny Sack, has come to town.

Another Toothpick: A retired hit man named Bobby "Bacala" Baccilieri comes out for one last hit against the wishes of his son and Uncle Junior and ends up in a bloody and violent gunfight. Christopher convinces his girlfriend, Adriana, to quit her job at Artie's restaurant, which leads to some questionable antics by Artie. Carmela is now actually taking Tony's therapy sessions with him, which leads to some awkward moments in Dr. Melfi's office. Also Tony fixes a speeding ticket, but soon regrets his decision.

University: Ralph is having a seriously violent relationship with a stripper that leads to a moment of violence between him and Tony in a parking lot. Meadow's relationship with Noah is put to the test when her needy roommate starts hanging around them all the time as they try to cheer her up.

Second Opinion: Tony wants Uncle Jr. to get a second opinion about him possibly having cancer. Carmela takes Dr. Melfi's advice and starts seeing a shrink. Meanwhile Christopher has to continue to deal with embarrassing situations with Paulie regarding with him being a made man now, and finally Tony has a "chat' with the wife of the late former friend of the family.

He Is Risen: Tony's feud with Ralph soon starts to escalate after taking Ralph's invitation to come to Thanksgiving away. Ralph, upset at how he is being treated, goes to New York crime boss Johnny Sack for help. Meanwhile Meadow and Jackie Aprile Jr. soon realize they have a lot more in common than they thought and start dating. Also Tony sees a beautiful patient of Dr. Melfi's and generously gives up his appointment so the other patient can see Dr. Melfi instead.

The Telltale Moozadell: Tony has a new woman, a Mercedes saleswoman, and takes her all over the place in style. Christopher gives Adrianna her own club, while he and Furio are the two partners behind the scenes, but there are problems with drug dealing in the club which Furio takes care of. Also Anthony Jr. is caught vandalizing his school, but the punishment given to him from the school leaves Carmela a little puzzled. And finally Tony gives Jackie Jr. a serious talk about treating Meadow with respect.

To Save Us All from Satan's Power...: Tony catches Jackie Jr. at a club with a woman who is not Meadow, and wants to "talk" to Jackie Jr. about it. Its Christmas time and for the first time in a long time there is no Santa to play for the kids coming to visit to get presents, so everyone points the finger at someone else to play Santa. Tony is also haunted by the memory of one of his former best friends, who he took out at the end of season two, and his memories only double after a Christmas present from Meadow.

Pine Barrens: After losing a victim in the South Jersey wilderness, Paulie and Christopher struggle with injuries, hunger, extreme cold, and no idea if they will survive the night. Meadow starts to get a suspicion that Jackie Jr. is cheating on her, which leads to a surprising ending. Also, Tony's new mistress Gloria may have some hidden problems, problems that are surprisingly similar to another woman of Tony's past...

Amour Fou: Jackie Jr. hears a tale from Ralph about how his own father became a made man and decides to rob a local card game. This decision may turn out to be his very last...Meanwhile Tony finds it harder and harder to spend time with Gloria, but after she threatens to tell Carmela all about their secret relationship, Tony has to figure out what to do with her. Meanwhile Carmela has had a huge guilt trip because of how she lives and where the money comes to pay for all her gifts from Tony and decides to confess to a priest.

The Army of One: Anthony Jr. gets in trouble yet again at his school, so the decision is made to send him to military school to put some discipline into him. Also there is another death in the family that results in everything falling apart. Paulie is upset because Ralph owes him money, so they have a sit down to discuss things, and finally the entire family gathers in Artie's restaurant where Uncle Jr. makes his return to the family in full swing...

This is still one of the greatest shows ever made. Each season is worth watching again and again. I will continue to review each season until I have finished the whole series. Season3, much like 1 and 2 that I have already reviewed, is highly recommended...

Impressive.......2007-01-23

The storylines and acting performances are tremendous. There were many a night where you want to watch only one episode, and get sucked into watching five. You will not be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Mary Poppins
Wonderful!
SUPER..califragilisticexpialidocious :)
Mary Poppins
Practically Perfect in Every Way. Until the Last Hour.

Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Julie Andrews , Dick Van Dyke , David Tomlinson , Glynis Johns , and Hermione Baddeley
Director: Robert Stevenson , and Dave Bossert
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002VEPRQ
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Amazon.com essential video

There is only one word that comes close to accurately describing the enchanting Mary Poppins, and that term was coined by the movie itself: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even at 2 hours and 20 minutes, Disney's pioneering mixture of live action and animation (based on the books by P.L. Travers) still holds kids spellbound. Julie Andrews won an Oscar as the world's most magically idealized nanny ("practically perfect in every way," and complete with lighter-than-air umbrella), and Dick Van Dyke is her clownishly charming beau, Bert the chimney sweep. The songs are also terrific, ranging from bright and cheery ("A Spoonful of Sugar") to dark and cheery (the Oscar-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee") to touchingly melancholy ("Feed the Birds"). Many consider Mary Poppins to be the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career--and it was the only one of his features to be nominated for a best picture Academy Award until Beauty and the Beast in 1991. --Jim Emerson

Description

Experience the extraordinary animation, dazzling special effects, and award-winning music of Walt Disney's MARY POPPINS in this fully restored and remastered 2-Disc 40th Anniversary Edition! Join the "practically perfect" Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) for a "Jolly Holiday" as she magically turns every chore into a game and every day into a whimsical adventure. Along the way you'll be enchanted by unforgettable characters such as the multitalented chimney sweep Bert (Dick Van Dyke). Unpack Mary's magical carpetbag full of bonus features, including an all-new animated short, games, and a never-before-heard deleted song. You won't need "A Spoonful Of Sugar" to love every moment of this timeless Disney classic!

Customer Reviews:

Mary Poppins.......2007-06-28

Disney's triumph expertly blends live-action and animation, and boasts a delightful score by the Sherman Brothers, including "A Spoonful Of Sugar", "Chim-Chim-Cher-ee", and "Feed The Birds". Veteran troupers Ed Wynn, Reginald Owen and Arthur Treacher lend colorful support, and Van Dyke is an appealing song and dance man, though his Cockney accent fails him. The real draw of course is the irresistible Andrews, who won the Oscar in her first starring role. Best for younger children, and young-at-heart parents.

Wonderful!.......2007-05-11

We had a flawless transaction on this one. Plus, what a great classic. My wife loves Disney movies and this is one of her all time favorites, so it made a great gift.

SUPER..califragilisticexpialidocious :).......2007-05-10

Absolutely delightful for my just-turned 3 year old daughter. She knows all of the songs and we sometimes just watch the feature which allows you to just play the songs...
I loved this movie as a child and I now really enjoy the movie on a different level as an adult. A classic and must-have in a child's dvd library!

Mary Poppins.......2007-05-09

Wonderful movie, even better on DVD. Just a little bit of sugar helps the medicine go down.

Practically Perfect in Every Way. Until the Last Hour........2007-05-03

There's a stretch of Mary Poppins, from around "The Perfect Nanny" until "I Love to Laugh," that really is perfect. Pure magic. But then that ending just drags and drags. The beauty of the movie, during that enchanting middle section, is that it is spirited and breathtaking, and delivers a message without being preachy. But then, shortly after the gang find themselves laughing to the point that they float to the ceiling, the energy starts to leak out of the movie. I appreciate that attention spans were longer a generation ago. But, two hours and twenty minutes for a children's musical? Could anyone- even back then- have really wanted to watch more of the Banks father being emasculated? There is "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and "Step in Time" to break up the heavy handed morality, and then Mr. Banks' rebirth as a `quality-time' father is demonstrated briefly by his interest in kites. Don't get me wrong. I'm down with the messages: The pursuit of money and status doesn't guarantee happiness. Don't forget to appreciate and nurture your kids. You don't have to sacrifice limit-setting to be playful, and so on. But there's something annoying about having that message remastered, repackaged, and forcefully delivered by the encroaching, ubiquitous Disney colossus.

Mary Poppins does a tremendous piece of family therapy with the Banks. While one can find elements of structural family therapy in her work, she mainly uses a strategic approach, focusing less on insight and understanding and instead adopting a directive and authoritative stance to manipulate the elements of symptoms, metaphors, hierarchy, and power that form the secret language of the Banks family. In fact, there is no better illustration of a paradoxical intervention than when she sings the lullaby "Stay Awake." The late Jay Haley himself must have marveled at her technique. And it is a wonderful talent that allows Mary Poppins the character, as well as Julie Andrews the actress, to act in an authoritarian manner while projecting enough playfulness and charm to secure the alliance with not just the kids but the parents. Magic doesn't hurt the transference either.

Anyway, the stuff that's great is really priceless and well worth it. You should probably slog through the movie all the way at least once, perhaps in a few sittings, but then after that you can select to view just the musical numbers with the kids. Some of the behind-the-scenes bonuses are worth watching. It's always interesting to see how the creative process works, the little serendipitous moments that add up to brilliance.

I think I'm done. I managed to get through this review without saying "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." By the way, "dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupus" is not strictly speaking the same word backwards. They throw in that "rupus" at the end to throw us off, but the rest of it is made up of roots, some of them multisyllabic, intact but in reverse order. Just wanted to mention that.

Cinderella (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Platinum Edition)

Average customer rating:

DISNEY ES DISNEY
Cinderella
Magic Kingdom
My little girl's favorite
Brings back great memories

Cinderella (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Platinum Edition)
Starring: Ilene Woods , Eleanor Audley , Verna Felton , Claire Du Brey , and Rhoda Williams
Director: Wilfred Jackson , Clyde Geronimi , and Hamilton Luske
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007Z9R7A
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Amazon.com

Worry not, Disney fans--this special edition DVD of the beloved Cinderella won't turn into a pumpkin at the strike of midnight. One of the most enduring animated films of all time, the Disney-fied adaptation of the gory Brothers Grimm fairy tale became a classic in its own right, thanks to some memorable tunes (including "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and the title song) and some endearingly cute comic relief.

The famous slipper (click for larger image)

We all know the story--the wicked stepmother and stepsisters simply won't have it, this uppity Cinderella thinking she's going to a ball designed to find the handsome prince an appropriate sweetheart, but perseverance, animal buddies, and a well-timed entrance by a fairy godmother make sure things turn out all right. There are a few striking sequences of pure animation--for example, Cinderella is reflected in bubbles drifting through the air--and the design is rich and evocative throughout. It's a simple story padded here agreeably with comic business, particularly Cinderella's rodent pals (dressed up conspicuously like the dwarf sidekicks of another famous Disney heroine) and their misadventures with a wretched cat named Lucifer. There's also much harrumphing and exposition spouting by the King and the Grand Duke. It's a much simpler and more graceful work than the more frenetically paced animated films of today, which makes it simultaneously quaint and highly gratifying. --David Kronke

DVD Features

For another of its classic films, Disney delivers another dazzling DVD with a gorgeous, razor-sharp picture and 5.1 sound. (Note: the 1949 film is properly presented in full-screen format, 1.33 aspect ratio, because widescreen films weren't made until the '50s.) The best part of the supplemental features is the archival material, the absolute highlight of which is two unused songs, "Cinderella's Work Song" (in which Cinderella imagines multiplying herself à la the Sorcerer's Apprentice) and "Dancing on a Cloud."

Bippity-boppity-boo! (click for larger image)

Because these numbers were never animated, they're accompanied by stylish illustrations from the Disney artists, and they're simply marvelous to look at. The artist of much of that material, Mary Blair, gets her due in a 15-minute featurette, while the better known "Nine Old Men" are the subject of a round-table discussion among some of today's top animators. In addition, a 38-minute documentary covers their contributions to specific characters of Cinderella as well as the film in general and the vocal cast. Also on the historical side is "The Cinderella That Almost Was," tracking the development of the project through decades of original Disney concepts, characters, and songs, including the 1922 silent "Laugh-o-Gram," which is also included in its entirety.

The pumpkin transformed (click for larger image)

Additional musical material includes three radio programs and a short promo of the movie by Perry Como, in which he summarizes the plot amid some songs by the Fontaine Sisters, star Ilene Woods, and the host himself. Seven other unused songs (17 minutes total) are available in audio-only. The material for kids is on the sparse side, consisting of two music videos, Disney Channel personality Sally (from "Mike's Super Short Show") learning how to become a princess with the help of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew and others, a minor dancing-princess feature, and a DVD-ROM design studio. Oddest extra: ESPN's "top Cinderella stories," including the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and Joe Namath's New York Jets, although stories on Mia Hamm and tennis's Williams sisters should appeal to the film's primary target audience of young girls. --David Horiuchi

Cinderella Throughout the Years

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1957 Television Production)
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965)
The Slipper and the Rose (1976)

Faerie Tale Theatre - Cinderella (1982)
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)
Ever After - A Cinderella Story(1998)

Description

The most celebrated of all the Disney classics, CINDERELLA, is also known as one of Walt Disney's all-time favorite films. CINDERELLA has enchanted generations with its spellbinding story, charming music, and endearing characters that live in your heart forever. The beloved fairy tale becomes pure Disney magic as beautiful Cinderella shares her dreams of romance and a better life with the lovable mice Gus and Jaq. When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, the delightful Fairy Godmother appears! With a wave of her wondrous wand and a bouncy "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," the Fairy Godmother transforms a simple pumpkin into a magical coach -- and Cinderella's rags into a gorgeous gown. At the ball, Cinderella falls in love with Prince Charming, but must flee before the stroke of midnight breaks the spell! Now with an all-new digital restoration, Disney's Enhanced Home Theater Mix, and all-new games and music videos, this 2-Disc Special Edition of Cinderella is the perfect fit for everyone who believes dreams really do come true. Also available on Video.

Customer Reviews:

DISNEY ES DISNEY.......2007-06-27

Este Box es simplemente sensacional un artículo de colección que te queda para toda la vida, no solo por la película remasterizada sino por el material adicional y el libro y los cards y la presentación en general hacen que una obra producida por Disney (lo cual asegura un exito)deba ser adquirida por todos nosotros. Ahora bien el porque de solamante ponerle 4 estrellas es porque la falla de la productoira es que el material adicional no tenga siquiera subtitulos en español para nosotros los latinos, por todo lo demas vale la pena.

Cinderella.......2007-06-25

Even after 55 years, "Cinderella" remains a tirelessly enchanting milestone of Disney storytelling, with splendid animation, vibrant color, and marvelous songs to complement the rags-to-riches, Charles Perrault-inspired storyline. Woods voices Cinderella with delicate charm, Phipps gives his Prince plenty of suave charisma, and Audley, as the wicked Stepmother, is an appropriately nasty piece of work. With a horde of ebullient animal characters like Jacques and Gus-Gus, "Cinderella" is the perfect dinner date for kids and wistful adults. Song highlight: "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo."

Magic Kingdom.......2007-06-10

One of the best fantasy Disney films . Fun and magic and imaginative; entertaining for adults and kids.However, talk about the message of -Cinderella being rescued by her Prince Charming- with your older children. (Such as "Girls you don't have to wait for Prince Charming to come along to solve your problems. Cinderella could have and should have been able to overcome her problems, herself. She actually was a strong individual and happy, despite her circumstances and she was creative by eliciting the aid and frienship of the mice and she had the belief that her faith would make her own dreams come true, etc.)."

My little girl's favorite.......2007-05-14

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Cinderella is the classic princess movie - and it actually has an OK message - if you keep on believing and being a good person, eventually something good will happen to you. And if you are vain, mean, nasty and vindictive, you'll never win the prince.

There are some other messages that are not as good, but overall, we love this movie. We dress up like Cinderella and sing cinderelly cinderelly every night now.

I'm glad my little girl enjoys the classic Disney movies that I did when I was young.

Brings back great memories.......2007-05-14

My boyfriend gave me this movie as a gift, I loved it so much I had to get one for my daughter. I just had to have one for myself. It brings back great memories.The color and sound are wonderful.

Average customer rating:

Citizen Kane
no film snob here, but neither do I care for Star Wars
The best thing about this much hyped film...
You don't tneed hese reviews to tell you what to think
A TRUE WORK OF FILM ART!

Citizen Kane
Starring: Georgia Backus , Fortunio Bonanova , Sonny Bupp , Ray Collins , and Dorothy Comingore
Director: Orson Welles
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Accessories:

Citizen Kane
Working with Orson Welles
Citizen Kane (Score Re-recording Of 1941 Film)

ASIN: B00003CX9E
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Amazon.com essential video

Arguably the greatest of American films, Orson Welles's 1941 masterpiece, made when he was only 26, still unfurls like a dream and carries the viewer along the mysterious currents of time and memory to reach a mature (if ambiguous) conclusion: people are the sum of their contradictions, and can't be known easily. Welles plays newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane, taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. The result is that every well-meaning or tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event. Written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz, and photographed by Gregg Toland, the film is the sum of Welles's awesome ambitions as an artist in Hollywood. He pushes the limits of then-available technology to create a true magic show, a visual and aural feast that almost seems to be rising up from a viewer's subconsciousness. As Kane, Welles even ushers in the influence of Bertolt Brecht on film acting. This is truly a one-of-a-kind work, and in many ways is still the most modern of modern films from the 20th century. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Citizen Kane.......2007-06-21

Perhaps the greatest debut in movie history, "Citizen Kane" remains one of the most influential American films of all time, thanks to the genius of Welles, who constructed this brilliant, elaborate puzzler at the tender age of 25. See it for Gregg Toland's lovely, pathbreaking deep-focus photography, Herman Mankiewicz's witty dialogue, and Welles's legendary performance as the enigmatic Kane. The film also marked the auspicious debut of several actors, including Cotten, Everett Sloane, Ruth Warrick, and Agnes Moorehead, superb as the mother who abandoned the future newspaper magnate as a boy. A peeved Hearst tried to block the film and nearly ruined Welles' career in the offing, but thankfully, art prevailed. "Citizen Kane" is a must-see.

no film snob here, but neither do I care for Star Wars.......2007-06-21

Am I the only one? I don't care about Kane, his life, or his sled. Get it? The character did not interest me. Period.

You want to call this "the greatest film ever made?" Go right ahead. Only it means zip to this viewer. I can think of a few other films that worked way better (for me.)

The best thing about this much hyped film..........2007-06-21

The best thing about this much hyped film is the "Kids in the Hall" skit it inspired...

You don't tneed hese reviews to tell you what to think.......2007-06-14

You don't need these reviews to tell you what to think.

Watch this movie and see for yourself -- not whether you think "it was the greatest movie of all time" whatever that means -- but rather whether you connected with Kane, a man with a life in search of meaning.

Born anonymous Kane's life was dramatically altered when his mother found herself in possession of great fortune. How would the existence of this fortune affect Kane? Would, could money buy him happiness?

Or was happiness something more elusive?

On the one hand this story is sort of the ultimate counter factual for all of us: that if given the money, our lives would not have any more meaning than they otherwise would have. On this hand Kane is like George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life" and we all come away realizing that money can't buy happiness and that all was, at the end of the day, for the best.

On the other hand, this story is the ultimate lie: Of course money can't buy happiness but it can secure possession of condos and cars and things and with it the kind of experiences that all too often accompany happiness. In this view, Kane's problem isn't the human condition but simply his lack of imagination.

What ever your views you certainly have a couple hours to sit and view this movie.

Yes, there are the officiandos who know the identity of the camera guy or how many hours it took Welles to prepare for filming or what they served each day for breakfast but those things don't make a film enjoyable.

Watch it for yourself and just see if you connect.

That's what matters.

A TRUE WORK OF FILM ART!.......2007-06-05

When wealthy media magnate Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) dies, he utters the enigmatic word "Rosebud". An obituary newsreel documents the events in his public life. The producer of the newsreel asks a reporter, Thompson (William Alland), to find out about Kane's private life and personality, in particular to discover the meaning behind his last word. The reporter interviews the great man's friends and associates, and Kane's story unfolds as a series of flashbacks.

First, Thompson approaches Kane's second wife, Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore), who refuses to tell him anything. Thompson then goes to the library of Mr. Thatcher (George Coulouris). It is there that Thompson learns about Kane's childhood. In the first flashback, Kane as a young child is abandoned by his mother (Agnes Moorehead) when he becomes suddenly wealthy, and sent to live with his banker, Mr Thatcher, despite the misgivings of Kane's father.

Other flashbacks show Kane's entry into the newspaper business and his profit-seeking with low-quality "yellow journalism". He takes control of the newspaper and hires all the best journalists (which he gets from the Inquirer's rival, The Chronicle). His attempted rise to power is documented, including his first marriage to a President's niece and his campaign for the office of governor. A "love nest" scandal ends both his marriage and his political aspirations. Kane remarries, but his domineering personality destroys his relationships and pushes away his loved ones.

Despite Thompson's numerous interviews with the people in Kane's life, he is unable to solve the mystery; he concludes that "Rosebud" will remain an enigma. However, the camera pans over workers burning some of Kane's many possessions. One throws an old sled, with the word "Rosebud" painted on it, into the fire, the same sled that Kane was riding as a child the day his mother sent him away. There is a shot of a chimney with black smoke coming out. After this twist ending, the film ends as it began, with the "No Trespassing" sign. The closing shot shows the "K" on top of the iron fence.

Susan with a symbolic jigsaw puzzleCitizen Kane has inspired myriad interpretations over the decades. In Orson Welles: Hello Americans, Simon Callow argued that Citizen Kane should not just be understood as a fictional work but also as a post-fictional piece: a piece where the audience is drawn in to view themselves in the process of watching the film. In a 1941 review, Jorge Luis Borges called Citizen Kane a "metaphysical detective story," in that "... [its] subject (both psychological and allegorical) is the investigation of a man's inner self, through the works he has wrought, the words he has spoken, the many lives he has ruined..." Borges noted that "Overwhelmingly, endlessly, Orson Welles shows fragments of the life of the man, Charles Foster Kane, and invites us to combine them and reconstruct him." As well, "Forms of multiplicity and incongruity abound in the film: the first scenes record the treasures amassed by Kane; in one of the last, a poor woman, luxuriant and suffering, plays with an enormous jigsaw puzzle on the floor of a palace that is also a museum." Borges points out that "... At the end we realize that the fragments are not governed by a secret unity: the detested Charles Foster Kane is a simulacrum, a chaos of appearances."

The film combines revolutionary cinematography (by Gregg Toland, with whom Welles shared a title card, which was a gesture of Welles' appreciation for Toland's overall contribution to the film, much like John Ford previously shared credit with Toland for The Long Voyage Home) with an Oscar-winning screenplay (by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz -- though most film history circles consider Mankiewicz's contribution to the screenplay to be far greater than that of Welles), and a lineup of first time film actors, associates of Mr. Welles from his stint at the Mercury Theatre, such as Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead.This a true work of film art and many have tried to unsuccessfully emulate the camera angles and the methodology of the angles and pathos.

Noel Serrano
Gala Foundation

Average customer rating:

South Dakota
It's an interesting but not entertaining drama.
Yuch
Deadwood is no Sopranos
We gave up Deadwood for John in Cincinatti ?

Deadwood - The Complete First Season
Director: Michael Almereyda , Davis Guggenheim , and Timothy Van Patten
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006FO5LO
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Product Description

(HBO Dramatic Series) 1876. In the Black Hills of South Dakota lies Deadwood, a lawless town inhabited by a mob of restless misfits ranging from an ex-lawman to a scheming saloon owner to the legendary Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The richest gold strike in American history provides the backdrop for HBO's next great drama.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

The remarkable first season of Deadwood represents one of those periodic, wholesale reinventions of the Western that is as different from, say, Lonesome Dove as that miniseries is from Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo or the latter is from Anthony Mann's The Naked Spur. In many ways, HBO's Deadwood embraces the Western's unambiguous morality during the cinema's silent era through the 1930s while also blazing trails through a post-NYPD Blue, post-The West Wing television age exalting dense and customized dialogue. On top of that, Deadwood has managed an original look and texture for a familiar genre: gritty, chaotic, and surging with both dark and hopeful energy. Yet the show's creator, erstwhile NYPD Blue head writer David Milch, never ridicules or condescends to his more grasping, futile characters or overstates the virtues of his heroic ones.

Set in an ungoverned stretch of South Dakota soon after the 1876 Custer massacre, Deadwood concerns a lawless, evolving town attracting fortune-seekers, drifters, tyrants, and burned-out adventurers searching for a card game and a place to die. Others, particularly women trapped in prostitution, sundry do-gooders, and hangers-on have nowhere else to go. Into this pool of aspiration and nightmare arrive former Montana lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and his friend Sol Starr (John Hawkes), determined to open a lucrative hardware business. Over time, their paths cross with a weary but still formidable Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine) and his doting companion, the coarse angel Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert); an aristocratic, drug-addicted widow (Molly Parker) trying to salvage a gold mining claim; and a despondent hooker (Paula Malcomson) who cares, briefly, for an orphaned girl. Casting a giant shadow over all is a blood-soaked king, Gem Saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), possibly the best, most complex, and mesmerizing villain seen on TV in years. Over 12 episodes, each of these characters, and many others, will forge alliances and feuds, cope with disasters (such as smallpox), and move--almost invisibly but inexorably--toward some semblance of order and common cause. Making it all worthwhile is Milch's masterful dialogue--often profane, sometimes courtly and civilized, never perfunctory--and the brilliant acting of the aforementioned performers plus Brad Dourif, Leon Rippy, Powers Boothe, and Kim Dickens. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

South Dakota.......2007-07-04

Except for the language, this is a great series. Very well acted and the location is a great place to visit. All the names, Bullock, Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, etc. are there on buildings, saloons, etc.

It's an interesting but not entertaining drama........2007-06-25

The acting is so good it makes me feel very angry with Gem Saloon owner, Al Swearengen. He's evil, smart and manipulative. The scene that showed him abusing the hooker is very disturbing and yet it's so realistic it's scary.

The gun fighting scenes are below average compared to movies shown in theaters.

I did not watch all the episodes of season 1 because they're depressing even though they're deep and engaging.

Yuch.......2007-06-18

Why did I ever get my husband "Deadwood"? I dread watching it. It is simply depressing Yuch

Deadwood is no Sopranos.......2007-06-14

We'd heard a lot about Deadwood being just as good as the Sopranos. Well, it isn't. The constant foul language seems out of place, there doesn't seem to be a character to root for, and the story lines are weak and underdeveloped. Slightly more entertaining than summer reruns.

We gave up Deadwood for John in Cincinatti ?.......2007-06-12

Milch has entirely lost his mind. He gave up Deadwood because he wanted to do JIC. What a total bonehead of a choice.

Anyway, Deadwood, the "Soprano's of the old west" is one of the best series ever on TV.

Isn't it odd that the complete 3 season set is $40 MORE expensive than buying each season separately? Who prices these things?

The Sergio Leone Anthology (A Fistful Of Dollars / For A Few Dollars More / The Good, The Bad And The Ugly / Duck, You Sucker)

Average customer rating:

A couple of these are among the best westerns ever!
Four classic Leone movies given the deluxe treatment and FINALLY released in the U.S. on DVD
Where's the postcards!
Unsure
At long last...

The Sergio Leone Anthology (A Fistful Of Dollars / For A Few Dollars More / The Good, The Bad And The Ugly / Duck, You Sucker)
Starring: Clint Eastwood , James Coburn , Rod Steiger , Eli Wallach , and Lee Van Cleef
Director: Sergio Leone
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Westerns | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
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Brute Force (Criterion Collection)
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Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B000OPOAMU
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com

From the innovative "James Bond Western" style of A Fistful of Dollars (1964) to the complete restoration of Duck You Sucker (1971), The Sergio Leone Anthology pays lavish tribute to one of the greatest of all Italian directors. A lifelong film buff deeply influenced by the movies he enjoyed as an uneducated youth in southern Italy, Leone (1929-1989) had officially directed only one previous film (1961's The Colossus of Rhodes) when he recruited a relatively unknown American TV star named Clint Eastwood (on a modest salary of $15,000) and made cinema history with A Fistful of Dollars, not the first Western made by an Italian but certainly the first truly Italian entry in the "Spaghetti Western" genre that Leone virtually invented. Each of the four films included in this eight-disc set are influential milestones in that once-maligned, now-celebrated genre, and while Leone's classic Westerns were largely dismissed by critics throughout the 1960s and '70s, they now stand as the masterworks of a visionary artist who was posthumously elevated into the pantheon of world-class filmmakers. To acknowledge Leone's historic impact on the genre, the Leone Anthology includes MGM's previous two-disc extended-cut collector's edition of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), and applies the same deluxe treatment to A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More (1965), and, for the first time on DVD, the fully restored English-language version of the original 157-minute Italian cut of Duck You Sucker (previously known by its alternate U.S. title A Fistful of Dynamite), which was never shown in American theaters.

A Fistful of Dollars is best known in America for spawning the "Man With No Name" marketing campaign that made Eastwood a star, although Eastwood's character is clearly named "Joe" in this cleverly adapted low-budget remake of Akira Kurosawa's samurai classic Yojimbo, in which Eastwood's lone drifter vies for strategic advantage in a corrupt Mexican town divided by a bitter family feud. The operatic qualities that grew increasingly lavish in Leone's later films are evident here on a smaller scale, along with the modern, innovative score of Ennio Morricone, whose legendary collaborations with Leone (on all four of these films) were vital to the director's deliberate defiance of Hollywood's Western traditions. Fistful was an instant success in Italy and its immediate sequel, For a Few Dollars More, is often cited as the definitive Spaghetti Western, with a bigger budget ($600,000) and a charismatic costar with Eastwood (Lee Van Cleef) in an uneasy alliance between gunslingers that introduced a hint of humanity to Leone's increasingly de-mythologized vision of the West. While teaming Eastwood, Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in a ruthless Civil War-era quest for buried Confederate gold, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly completed Leone's "Dollars" trilogy (filmed primarily on locations in Spain) on a truly epic scale, introducing the darker cynicism, grander ambition, and artistic maturity that defined Leone's later films.

Leone vowed to quit making Westerns after his 1968 masterpiece Once Upon a Time in the West (a Paramount release not included in this set), but circumstances led him to seize the directorial reins of Duck You Sucker, a dynamic yet deeply disillusioned study of revolution that can now take its rightful place among Leone's greatest films. Like several of Leone's films, Duck You Sucker suffered a long history of cuts, re-cuts, and censorship, and the fully restored 157-minute version (unseen since the film's 1971 Italian premiere) more effectively explores the complex friendship between an Irish rebel explosives expert (James Coburn) and a brutish Mexican bandit (Rod Steiger) who becomes a reluctant revolutionary in 1913 Mexico. With explosive action sequences that remain among the most impressive ever filmed, Duck You Sucker now gives richer meaning to the film's original Italian title Giù la testa ("Keep Your Head Down"), asserting Leone's theme that family is far more important than the devastating violence of revolution. In the Leone Anthology (a variation on previous DVD sets released in England, Germany, and Japan), Duck You Sucker is the long-awaited crown jewel in a box-set of cinematic treasures. And while Leone purists will endlessly debate over the image quality (generally quite impressive) and 5.1-channel soundtrack mixes included here, there's no denying that The Sergio Leone Anthology is the definitive Leone tribute for a technically demanding 21st-century audience, and that's cause for enthusiastic celebration. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Listed in the glossy 32-page booklet that accompanies this eight-disc set (also including cast lists, scene selections, brief synopses, and behind-the-scenes details), the bonus features found in The Sergio Leone Anthology provide a comprehensive study of Leone's career, themes that dominated his work, and the historical contexts that inform Leone's classic "Spaghetti Westerns." With an even balance of lively authority and erudite scholarship, acclaimed Leone biographer and British film historian Sir Christopher Frayling provides informative commentary on A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and Duck You Sucker, while Time magazine critic Richard Schickel's equally astute commentary remains on MGM's previous two-disc release of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. (Many of these features were prepared for the U.K. version of The Leone Anthology, including interviews conducted in 2003 and 2005.) In addition to a wide variety of vintage American radio promotional spots for these films, the meticulously researched and delightfully fascinating "location comparisons" show "then and now" scenes from all four films, with original film clips perfectly matched to location photos taken in 2004 by devoted Leone fans Donald S. Bruce and Marla J. Johnson.

Extras on A Fistful of Dollars begin with "A New Kind of Hero" (22:53), Frayling's behind-the-scenes analysis of the film's innovative anti-hero played by Clint Eastwood, whom Leone hired (when first choices Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Lee Marvin, and Charles Bronson proved too expensive) after seeing Eastwood in a 1961 episode of Rawhide. In the interview featurette "A Few Weeks in Spain" (8:33), Eastwood recalls the experience of making the film on location, and "Tre Voci" (or "Three Voices") is an 11-minute combination of retrospective interviews with producer Alberto Grimaldi, screenwriter Sergio Donati, and Mickey Knox, an American actor living in Rome who provided many of the post-synchronized voices for the English-language versions of Leone's films. In "Not Ready for Prime Time" (6:20), maverick American director Monte Hellman describes the circumstances that led to his direction of an explanatory Fistful of Dollars prologue for the film's American network TV premiere on August 29, 1977. Featuring Harry Dean Stanton, and filmed as an attempt to "legitimize" the Man With No Name's seemingly immoral behavior, the rarely-seen prologue (7:44) is introduced by obsessive Leone fan Howard Fridkin, who saved his Betamax recording from the one-time-only 1977 broadcast.

Frayling examines For a Few Dollars More in "A New Standard" (20:15), a "making of" featurette with emphasis on the film's male/male dynamic (described by Frayling as Leone's "invention of the brother he never had"). In "Back for More" (7:08), Eastwood recalls how he'd begun to watch Leone to inform his own directorial ambitions. "Tre Voci" (11:05) continues the retrospective interviews with Grimaldi, Donati, and Knox, and "The Original American Release Version" (5:19) examines three edits (including removal of the name "Manco" so Eastwood's character could remain "nameless" in the film's American marketing) that were made for the film's U.S. release.

Extras on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly are highlighted by "Leone's West" (19:53) and "The Leone Style" (23:47), a pair of excellent documentaries exploring the film itself and the evolution of Leone's visual style as his budgets and production values grew to epic proportions. Featuring interviews with Clint Eastwood, critic and Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel, and others, these are must-see features packed with entertaining observations and anecdotes. Lending historical context to Leone's film, "The Man Who Lost the Civil War" is a 14-minute excerpt from a documentary about ill-fated Confederate general Henry Hopkins Sibley's botched campaign to expand Confederate dominance in the West. The "Reconstruction" featurette (11:07) is a detailed study of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly's painstaking restoration to Leone's intended 179-minute extended cut, featuring an interview John Kirk, the MGM director of technical operations who supervised the film's meticulous reconstruction. The essential contribution of composer Ennio Morricone is celebrated in the "Il Maestro" featurette (7:47) and film music historian Jon Burlingame provides an excellent audio-only survey (12:29) of Morricone's most popular soundtrack. Deleted scenes include the extended "Tuco torture" sequence (in which the brutal beating of Eli Wallach's character is masterfully cross-cut with the melancholy performance of a prison-camp orchestra); the brilliant "Socorro sequence" that was drastically edited in previous cuts; and a French trailer revealing shots and alternate angles not seen in the film's various theatrical releases. The poster gallery includes eight posters from the film's international marketing campaigns.

For Duck You Sucker, Frayling's film-by-film analysis continues in "The Myth of Revolution" (22:10), a behind-the-scenes study of Leone's deepening artistic maturity, as manifested in the film's cynical view of political revolution. "Donati Remembers" (7:20) is a continuation of the retrospective interview with screenwriter Sergio Donati (who by the early '70s was urging Leone to return to smaller-scale filmmaking), and "Once Upon a Time in Italy" (6:00) explores the ambitious effort that went into creating the definitive traveling exhibit of material (props, posters, costumes, etc.) from Leone's archives and beyond, first shown at the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, in Los Angeles, California, in July 2005. In "Sorting Out the Versions" (11:37), film historian Glenn Erickson narrates a visual survey of the various cuts and changes made to Duck You Sucker during its tortured history of global distribution, and in "Restoration Italian Style" (6:07), MGM director of technical operations John Kirk outlines the painstaking effort to restore Duck You Sucker to its original Italian premiere length of 157 minutes, resulting in the first-ever English language version based on the film's Italian-language restoration of 1996. The disc concludes with the enjoyable "Location Comparisons" (9:32), six rare radio spots from the film's original U.S. release in 1972, and (as with all other films in this set) the original theatrical trailer. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Disc 1: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Collector's Edition Disc 2: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Bonus Disc Disc 3: A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS Collector's Edition Disc 4: A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS Bonus Disc Disc 5: FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE Collector's Edition Disc 6: FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE Bonus Disc Disc 7: DUCK, YOU SUCKER (A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE) Collector's Edition Disc 8: DUCK, YOU SUCKER (A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE) Bonus Disc

Customer Reviews:

A couple of these are among the best westerns ever!.......2007-06-25

The Good The Bad and The Ugly is certainly in the top ten best westerns ever and For a few Dollars More in the top ten or at least top twenty. See my amapedia review below for more details.

Four classic Leone movies given the deluxe treatment and FINALLY released in the U.S. on DVD.......2007-06-10

Prepared for release in 2005 we've only had to wait two years for this deluxe reissue of three of the four Leone films included here. For those that want to know this box set has a 32 page booklet with credits and essays on the films but no postcards like the original release of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". If you want the collectable version, I suppose you'll have to buy these individually. This set is definitely worth picking up as it is a HUGE improvement over all the previously r

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